Petra tou Romiou, an interesting collection of rocks off the southwest coast of Cyprus, in the Mediterranean Sea which is, by legend the place where the Greek goddess Aphrodite was taken to shore on a shell after being created from the seafoam.
Aphrodite was the Ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty and procreation, among other things and is the Greek counterpart of the Roman goddess Venus.
A second legend associated with this geological formation is that the giant rocks were hauled there by the Byzantine hero Digenis Akritas to keep the Saracens at bay. This is the story which gives the formation its name Petra tou Romiou – ‘Rock of the Greek’, as Istanbul, then called Byzantium, was part of Greece until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
More modern legends suggest that swimming around the rock three times will bring various blessings, including eternal youth and beauty, good luck, fertility and true love.
It is also a popular place for marriage proposals, as well as being one of the most beautiful beaches in Cyprus, and a favourite swimming spot for locals.
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